FOLLOW-UP METHOD FOR PROCESSING OF BRAIN-FUNCTION MR-IMAGES

FMRT with standard 1.5 T scanners requires adapted algorithms because the time course of intensity signal showed a non-linearity of the base line, The protocol contains sequential images covering periods of rest followed periods of stimulation, The images of each period of rest an d stimulation were averaged, offering a series of averaged images. Fro m this series, we conserved only the pixels which presented the altern ated variations corresponding to the temporal pattern of the paradigm. A colour scale was used to present the average percentage of variatio ns of each pixel selected. We have performed activation paradigms with a classical motor protocol. This simple ''follow-up'' method appears effective for the identification of activated areas. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.